5 sessions to go

Coloncancerblows

Posts: 296
Joined: Feb 2013

May 19, 2013 - 10:55 am

This Wednesday will be my 8th session and I'll start to see a light at the end of the tunnel with 4 left after that. Working and going thru chemo has really started to hit me with the fatigue. The good news is that Tuesday the 21st is my last day of work until all my chemo sessions are over which will be the end of July. I decided to go out on short term disability which I'll get full pay for. It is such a relief knowing I won't have to go to work for a while. My last session really kicked my butt as far as the nausea and I hear the remaining sessions can sometimes be the most draining. Also, I had to get that neoprogren (sp) shot for 3 days since my white counts were low. That shot is awful! Not the actual shot but the side effects with the back pain. So.....I'll have more time to visit the board since I won't be working after Tuesday.

You are getting FOLFOX, correct? I thnk I'm right behind you - I just had my first infusion on Wed, 5/15. While I haven't had issues with cold or neuropathy yet, I've felt like I've had the flu. Spent a lot of time sleeping after 5FU pump was unhooked on Friday. Today, I'm feeling a little bit more normal.

I go back to work soon (still on STD from surgery). How did that work for you? What kind of side effects have you had - and how best to deal with them? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Going back to work wasn't so bad on my good days but the days I was out for chemo or just not feeling good, I had to take vacation which stunk. I've taken over 80 hours vacation so far and thought "nope....not going to do that anymore so I'm going out on STD". If you could go out on LTD while you're on chemo, I would recommend that. Good luck to you!

I had my last Oxaliplatin infusion this past week and it really knocked me out. I slept pretty much three days and I really can't say I feel good now. Those last chemos may very well make glad you took the time off.

I am looking forward to my hair growing back and the Thrush to go away, but I fear they will be replaced by other side effect to the radiation and 5FU pump.

My eye lashes and brows are down to the bare minimum. But they should start growing back soon.

You want to hear something funny? All of my body hair (arms, thighs, face and ladies parts) has gone, except below the knee, where if anything, it is far hairier than before treatment. I sat in the bath yesterday and watched my leg hair float from side to side on my legs.

I just got done with number 12. This is my last one with Avastin, as in 4 weeks I have my colostomy reversed, then I'll start back up on Avastin. I am continuing w/chemo, liver mets shrunk considerably, but I'm not sure how long I'm on Folfox for. My doc said w/stage 4, as long as my body can tolerate it and I'm doing ok, we continue. I'm nervous about stopping avastin for eight weeks. Has anyone else had avastin and had to go off it, then back on?

It sounds like you still have your primary tumor. Have you considered a colon resection? If your cancer only metastasized to the liver, maybe you could even have a liver resect. If the liver mets are too extensive, you could target the liver directly (providing you have a colon resection) and get off the systemic chemo. I know this is none of my business and I hope I'm not overstepping. I realize you have done really well so far and likely don't want to fix it if it ain't broke. For all I know, that might very well be the best approach. You seem to be young and healthy and would likely respond well to surgery. Just curious. Maybe your onc is saving surgery for down the road. Great that you are doing so well with the Folfox. It's a tough one for so many folks.

Thanks for the reply. Believe it or not, they never found anything in the colon. I have colon cancer in the liver (yep, it was biopsied), but they could not find the primary. The only place is the liver. I have no problem continuing the folfox, I'm just worried about going off the avastin for eight weeks. I worry that while I'm off it, my cancer could go the other way. Arrrrghhhh!!!!

That sounds like a really unique situation. I wouldn't worry about the Avastin. Even if a blood supply to the tumors begins to form, before you know it you'll be back on the avastin and that will nip it. If it's important to you to get a reversal, then you should just do it. Good luck.

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